


If we ever meet again

by Calla_Lilalma



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Family, Fluff and Humor, Fluffy Ending, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Happy Ending, Hugs, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Multi, My First Work in This Fandom, but it's not described so...., i don't know how to address this properly., it's a bit from most of them, many hugs, the abusive is really lowkey but just to be safe, the mature rating is for possible trigger warnings, there are too many fluff tags, there is no teiko drama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-18
Updated: 2016-11-18
Packaged: 2018-08-31 18:39:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8589424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calla_Lilalma/pseuds/Calla_Lilalma
Summary: Atsushi moves to an apartment complexHe doesn't really care, as long as he has sweets, he is more than happy, right?





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hei there! Glad you stopped by to my Neighbour/Age difference KnB AU that came to my mind and I couldn't get rid of.  
> Also, there are not enough MuraHimu (as a main pairing) fics so I wrote one!  
> I love this fic I wrote but honestly I can't look at it any longer. The amount of brain power it took was enormous and now that I'm posting it and write the notes, my brain is fried and I have a massive headache. I'm sitting here for half an hour to think of a summary! And the one i have now is the last bits of my brain trying to make a sentence that doesn't make me cringe!  
> Nevertheless, i'm proud of it as i've always wanted to write a long one shot! I sincerely respect all the other writers who do it in a weekly basis! Not all heroes wear capes! 
> 
> oh! One last thing! In the fic the school year starts in the second week of September and ends at the start or middle of June. That's how we do it in my country.
> 
> So! after this word vomit, enjoy the fic!  
> I do not own the characters.

Atsushi is ten when they move to the apartment.

After the last of his older brothers moves to college, their house becomes too big for the remaining four family members to stay and too troublesome for their mother and father to take care of.  So they decided to move to a big apartment complex in the same area so both of the remaining siblings - especially his older sister Mika wouldn’t have to change schools in the middle of her high school life.

He personally didn’t have a problem with moving, all his classmates were stupid anyway.

Their new apartment had the number 303 on it, the first number to show the floor they were on and the last that they are the third apartment from the escalator and the staircase. Even if their number was declined, the apartment was still above average size to fit a physically above average built of four.

His mother told him to start unpacking his boxes into his room and by the look in her eyes he couldn't complain as it will mean no sweet snacks after dinner. He pouted and sluggishly went to the first room left on the hallway, the only available room as Mika hogged the one in the end of it and his parents always sleep at the right side for some reason he doesn’t understand because he is not a weirdo like them.

It’s a big room, with white walls and the absurdly big beg that they brought from the old house as an another custom made bed to fit his big and still growing form is expensive.

Apart from the school stuff and his clothes, he didn’t have many possessions. He had a basketball he never used but couldn’t throw away, a stuffed turtle which he put in his bed and his most prized thing. A notebook which had the addresses, names and phone numbers of pastry shops, candy stores and the like he deemed worthy of remembering. He put it in the first drawer of the nightstand next to his bed, to have it always with him.

He finished his unpacking first and went to the kitchen to find his mom and ask sweets as a reward for doing the chore. He can hear his sister hitting something and then swearing, causing his father to yell to ‘mind her language in front of her brother’.  Like he hasn’t already heard him shouting the exact same things while driving him to school in the morning. He really doesn’t care.

He spends the next hour sulking and watching tv in the living room, his mother didn’t give the reward he wanted because it ‘would ruin his appetite for dinner’ whatever that means and pouting sits on the table to eat the dinner she prepared after that.

It’s in the middle of him taking a bite from his fish when the doorbell rang. His father sighs, gives a brief longing look to his plate and goes to answer it.

The rest of the family listens as he speaks with another male voice, the content of the conversation incomprehensible. He then calls for them to come to the door. The look at eatc other in question but comply.

His father has his door open to someone that Atsushi cannot recognize. He is tall (but not as tall as his parents, probably at Mika’s height) with soft looking raven hair that hides his left eye. The one that’s visible is grey in colour and there is a beauty mark underneath it.  His skin is pale, like porcelain and a seemingly lean built under his long sleeved shirt.

“I am sincerely sorry for interrupting your dinner but I heard this evening that a new family moved in and I wanted to welcome you. My name’s Himuro Tatsuya and I life in the apartment 302 in the left side of yours. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He bowed while he was holding a package box towards his father “I am not sure if it’s a Japanese custom to bring gifts, but nevertheless I brought you a cake. Even if I didn’t make it, I hope you enjoy it.” He said in a formal language.

His father smiled as he raised his hands to take the box, but Atsushi was faster. I grabbed the box, startling the older men and making his mother sigh.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Himuro-san. My name’s is Murasakibara Toshiro the father of the house hold. This” he gestured towards mom who was still giving Atsushi a glare “is my lovely wife Sakura.”

“It’s really nice to meet you Himuro-san, thank you for th—”

“I’m Mika! It’s really nice to meet you Himuro-san! Can I call you Himuro-kun? You seem really young!”  Mika interrupted their mother and stood directly in front of Himuro with a giant smile on her face.

Himuro’s visible eye widened at the sudden proximity but then his polite smile came back “of course, I’m only twenty three so I appreciate the honorific.”

Atsushi is already bored and tries to sneak out to the kitchen to eat the cake in his hands.

“Where do you think you are going?” his mother’s stern voice echoes before he can take his third step to freedom “Leaving without introducing yourself, what kind of manners did I taught you?” she crosses her arms over her chest. She turns towards the guest again with an expecting aura around her.

For the sake of the cake he knows she’s is going to hide if he disobeys he goes back to the door.

“I’m Atsushi. Nice to meet you.” He grumbles in an apathetic tone.

“Atsu-” his mother starts but is politely interrupted

“It’s completely fine Murasakibara-san, it’s nice to meet you all today. I hope you enjoy the cake.” The last sentence is clearly directed towards him, and Atsushi’s respect for him goes up a bit.

“we’re having dinner Himuro-kun! You should join us!” his sister’s voice became more high-pitched and more annoying with every word.

“Oh no, it’s fine, I wouldn’t want to intrude. Besides I am waiting on my roommate to eat together.”  Mika deflated by his words.

“If that’s what you want, then you are welcome on our house anytime.” His father has always been a person willing to help others and welcomes them without a second thought, which made him perfect for his work as physics high school professor.

“Thank you sir. I’d like to apologize again for interrupting, have a good night.” And then he walked to their left to his door.

The moment the door closed, his sister let out a inhuman squeal.

“I have to call Mikoto right now and tell her about the hot neighbor!” and then she ran to her room despite dad’s warnings.

“It’s true that he’s really handsome…” “Not you too Sakura!”

Atsushi sat at the table to finish his dinner worried about being scolded for earlier while his mother was saying something about their neighbor’s looks.

He didn’t pay attention to his family. The man gave him –tasty half chocolate mix and half vanillia strawberry -cake and that was enough.

****

Every time he went shopping to the mall with either of his parents he never paid attention to where they’re going. His mind is always on the pastry shops he sees. He’d come many times here and he knew that there was a pastry shop here that was in his notebook with delicious cakes and all kinds of sweets. His mother was too busy trying to get products that were on sale in a cosmetics store, so sneaking out was pretty easy.

What wasn’t easy was what came after that.

He couldn’t find the correct way to go, so he started wondering everywhere like a haunting ghost until he found it.

It seemed that it wasn’t on the floor he was, so he took the gamble and went to the one above.

It was still summer vacation so it really crowded by people from all ages and that made it difficult for him to see above the tall bodies.

It was ironic, coming from someone whose whole family was way above average height. He couldn’t wait till he got his growth spout.

People were pushing a pulling from all directions and he was getting really annoyed where he heard a  worried voice from behind calling him.

“Atsushi-kun”

He turned around and he was surprised that he saw his five day neighbour Himuro walking fast towards him.

“Atsushi-kun are you here alone, where is your mother?” he asked, obviously not seeing the woman with the same violet hair near him.

“She’s at the store.”

“Which store?”

“One that sells makeup?”

“there are ten of those. Which one are you referring to?”

“…”

Himuro sighed. “okay listen, we are going to go to the lost children booth and call for your mother okay?” he got a shake of the head as an answer.

“I don’t wanna go” he complained.

They had a stare down of a few seconds and then Himuro smoothed his hair above his eye “How about we buy you some sweets and then go?” Atsushi’s eyes lit up at the suggestion.

“ok” his voice had been flat but the message was not.

The older man smiled gently at him and held out his hand “well then , hold my hand so you don’t get lost again ok ?”

The child nodded again and reluctantly connected their hands. Himuro’s hand was not that much larger than his with a perfect combination of both roughness and softness. It was fairly calloused but it wasn’t bad. Himuro squeezed his hand softly to reassure him and smiled as they started walking.

They went to the store Atsushi was looking for and took a chocolate tart.

“Did you like it?” himuro asked him as they left.

“it was good but the biscuit was stale” he stated.

“You should be a pastry chef when you grow up, I bet what you make will be fantastic!” the older remarked.

Atsushi looked up at him, he needed to because Himuro was taller than him by half a head.  He looked sincere when he said that.  He felt his cheeks warm up a little.

“You didn’t get anything, you don’t like them?” he asks with genuine curiosity.

“It’s not that, I tend to avoid them as they’re pretty fattening”

Atsushi looked down at their linked hands and noticed that while his hands and fingers seem slender and soft his wrist is pretty slim and bony. The sleeve of his blouse emphasizes that fact and makes the sleeve seem two sizes larger.  He assumes that Himuro-san is pretty slim under those wide clothes, even if his shoulders are relatively wide.

“ but I don’t get fat ” he said as if he wants to convince the older one, who chuckled softly at him.

“I know, but you are a growing boy so you need to eat a lot. That and judging by how tall your family is, your metabolism must be really fast and preparing for puberty”

“My meta-what?”

“Oh it’s nothing! Sorry for annoying you with so many unknown words.”

They arrived at the centre where Himuro –san spoke with the security guards to make an announcement so that his mom could come and get him. He sat on one of the couches and just looks around, bored and waiting. Himuro-san sits down beside him.

“Aren’t you gonna leave?”  the older shook his head as an answer. “I’ve finished my shopping so I have nothing left to do. Also I couldn’t possibly leave you alone in a huge place like this.”

“I can take care of myself”

“So why did you get lost then?”

Atsushi huffed at the question and turned away. He then turned back when he heard Himuro laughing. The older man’s eyes were closed and his shoulders were shaking and smiling widely. He must have sensed the kid’s staring and promptly stopped and put a hand to cover his mouth.

“I’m really sorry Atsushi-kun” he apologized looking at his face with a panicked expression.

“It’s fine” he mumbled and looked away.

Before Himuro could make another question, his mom rushed through the walls, panting and frantically looking for her child. When she spotted him her panicked stare turn to one that Atsushi new always came before he got scolded.

“Atsushi Murasakibara! You disappear on me during rush hour and I had to look for you for an hour! Do you know how worried I was ?!” she approached him, grabbed his shoulder and gave him a tight hug “don’t do that again, you hear?!  Are you okay sweetheart?” her form was shaking and Atsushi felt bad for making his mom so worried and sad so he hugged her back as to say that he was okay.

A clearing of a throat pulled both mother and son to reality as Himuro-san smiled warmly at them “now that everything is settled, I better be going” and he turned to walk away.

His mother immediately let him go shouting “Not so fast!” and hugged Himuro with her monstrous hugs. She was 195 centimetres tall and towered the man as she hugged him by the waist and almost lifted him so he won’t get away.

The raven tensed up at the sudden physical contact and for a moment fear passed through his eyes but relaxed and gave the tall woman a gentle and feathery pat on her shoulder.

“Thank you very much for bringing him here! I am so so so sorry you had to get out of the way and I know my glutton of a son wanted to go to that sweetshop he likes but thank you from the bottom of my heart !” she said to him

“It’s fine Murasakibara –san,  despite the unfortunate turn of events, I enjoyed Atsushi’s company. You have nothing to worry about.”

“Oh stop it with such formalities and call me Sakura already! And it wasn’t nothing! To repay you, you will come to dinner one of those nights okay ?”she phrases it as a question but her tone and eyes say that she will push it until she gets what she wants.

The older man seems to get it as well as he sighs in defeat “very well then, if you insist”

She grins and put him down. Then she turns to Atsushi to give him a look that says ‘will talk about this at home’ and holds his hand, much like Himuro did but where she is using a bit of force so he won’t slip away again, the raven used a gentle squeeze to reassure him that he was here and he won’t leave him.

Himuro came to the mall with public transport so him mother offered (more like ordered) to come with their car as they are both going to the apartment complex. On their way to their car she checks out the things he bought.

_‘oh and I was looking for that concealer in my skin tone so bad but a hag in front of me took the last one! You must have gotten there pretty soon.’_

_‘yeah I wanted to get some other stuff that where on sale there too and I didn’t want to miss them’_

_‘it baffles me that such a beautiful man uses makeup though, imagine what the rest of us have to do’_

_‘you flatter me Sakura-san and I did nothing to be worth  it’_

When they arrived to their floor’s common hallway his mom reminded Himuro to inform her when he was available about dinner, getting a light chuckle and nod from him.

The moment mother and son went inside, Atsushi got scolded for half an hour about safety in public spaces and not getting away from her until he was older and watch his surroundings.

At the end of it he got two weeks grounded and banned from eating sweets which made him whine and complain until he got a stern glare from her and went to his room.

He had nothing to do there but think about stuff. He thought about sweets, eating sweets and what Himuro said about being a pastry chef, something that he could see himself doing.

But the thought that startled him the most was about how Himuro’s laugh and smile reminded him of the sweet cake he got when they first met.

****

 The dinner was scheduled for a week later as his dad had still work to do at the school and his mother’s boss has assigned her some extra work at the editorial establishment that she works. Mika was the first one to complain about that, as she was overjoyed when hearing that their hot neighbour will come to their house.

When the night of the dinner finally comes, his mother cooks even more than usual.  Their family eats a lot, so she had thought that maybe it’s not going to last for an additional person.

“not everyone has an appetite like ours” he dad says as she places the eighth food plate at the table.

Atsushi was ordered to wear formal clothes as the dinner is a ‘thank you’ to Himuro-san for dealing with his irresponsibility. He ended up wearing semi-formal pants and a button up shirt he didn’t know he owned but guesses it’s either hand-me-down from one of his brothers or a gift from one of his aunts. His sister didn’t even protest at the suggestion as she immediately ran to her room to call her friend and pick the ‘perfect dress’ as she says.  She comes out with a mid-length strapless white dress that compliments her deep violet hair and black eyes which she got from their father.

Himuro arrived at exactly 7pm, the time they’d arranged. His sister almost ran to the door, he tight dress making her look like a penguin running. She opened the door eagerly welcomes him.

He raven is wearing black dress shirt that seems a little large on him even though it is okay at his shoulders and grey slacks with dress shoes. He looks formal and his back slouches a little but Atsushi finds himself admiring him for a few seconds and then focusing on the box he holds and his eyes widen. It’s a box from the pastry shop that they went at the mall.

Out of instinct he walked towards him and took the box quickly. Himuro didn’t seem surprised or annoyed, he just gave him a mischievous smile and let him have it.

“Himuro-kun you are spoiling him! Atsushi you’ll wait after dinner to eat that! go live it on the kitchen counter, I’m watching you!” his mother said and with a pout he headed to the kitchen.

“It’s fine Sakura-san. Atsushi is still a young boy so a few sweets more isn’t such a problem” he gave her a charming smile that seemed to melt his mom’s resolve.

“Damn you for being such a prince Himuro-kun. Now, my dear son, what do we say?”

“Thank you Muro-chin!” he smiles at the older man who is looking at his parents in question.

“Don’t worry! He calls all his friends with nicknames. It didn’t take long for you to gain it.” His father said, proud that he makes friends.

After a moment of hesitation, the raven raises his hand and pat his hair lightly “you’re welcome Atsushi”

The sat at the dinner table , Himuro between his mother and sister because they’d instisted and across from him. The family could tell that their guest was overwhelmed by the amount of food at the table and reluctantly picks a few piece from some of them. The women tried to coax him to put more, saying things like he seemed too skinny and that the shirt he is wearing seemed like a cape on him but once they saw his distressed face they drop it with an apology which he dismissesed with a gentle wave of his hand.

Then came the questions about his life. They asked about his birthday which is on October 30th (“that’s two weeks away from Atsushi’s! isn’t that great?” his mother gushes) and he mostly works from home as a translator as he grew up in America and speaks and writes the language perfectly. His family seems impressed with that as they haven’t met many people from the other side of the ocean. He sheepishly admits that he has difficulty to tell the difference between the western and eastern customs, hence the reluctance at the first meeting.

The conversation turned awkward when his sister asks about his love life and Himuro froze, set his chopsticks down and without looking anyone in the eye said

“Yes, I am currently in a relationship for 7 years” he murmured.

His sister seemed disappointed but along with the rest of the family droppped it when they heard how uncomfortable he sounded.

The rest of the evening went well with a light mood, Himuro always saying that he felt full but his mother still put food on his plate and they shared his father’s stories about the school. When the basketball team came up Himuro’s eye lit up a beautiful smoky grey and  exclaimed his interest.

“I used to play in high school too and although I rarely play anymore, it’s still a huge part of me.”

Then his father spoke about how Atsushi plays basketball, much to the child’s embarrassment but the smile on Himuro’s face was so sweet that he didn’t complain.

A loud ping made Himuro startle like a deer as he pulled his phone from his pocket and checks the message.  Atsushi watched as his pale skin turned even paler, eyes widened. He quickly turned to his hosts

“I apologize but I really have to leave right now?”

“Did something happen?” his father asked worriedly

“It’s just that my … roommate came back from a business trip and he can’t find me, so I have to go.” he promptly got up and walked towards the door. The Murasakibara family followed him as they probably thought that Himuro’s excuse isn’t very solid.

When they stepped outside, the door of the apartment 302 opened too and a man with short black hair and dark grey eyes, with a cigarette on his lips, wearing sweatpants and a tank top. The man then turned to them.

“Tatsuya, I came back and you weren’t in the house. I was worried” he speaks with a apathetic tone.

“But I thought you’d come back in three days” Himuro trailed of.

“It was supposed to be a surprise” he smiled and then turn to the family “You must be new in the neighbourhood. My name’s is Nijimura  Shuuzo.” He gives them a nod. This mother briefly introduces herself, wary of the new face.

“There isn’t anything in the fridge” Nijimura stated and Himuro looked down.

“Yeah, the Murasakibaras invited me for dinner tonight so I didn’t see the need to make anything. I was going to go grocery shopping tomorrow. “ he fidgeted with his fingers.

“Himuro-kun can get something from us! I always prepare more than necessary during dinner so come inside Himuro-kun and take what you need” his mother offered immediately sensing the Himuro’s discomfort.

“I don’t know if I wo-”

“If you insist, then I am sure we cannot refuse, right Tatsuya” Nijimura interrupted him making the other raven to paused and turned to look at him and then back at his mom.

“if there isn’t any trouble for you.” And he followed her in the kitchen with the rest of the family going in to help.

Atsushi stayed a few seconds, eyeing the man but when the other stared back at him, he went back in. He didn’t like this man.

Inside his mom put different food inside Tupperware while saying to Himuro that most of them needed only to be microwaved to be eaten again.

“I’m really sorry for Shuuzo’s behaviour, he can be pretty straight forward and rude sometimes but he’s a good guy.”

His mother gave him a long stare but smiles “It’s fine dear, not everybody is good with strangers.”

“you probably won’t see him much as he goes to many business trips”

The conversation died after that. Before Himuro left he bended slightly to Atsushi’s level and whispers a small “I hope you like the cake” before he went out the door.

Later that night Atsushi almost devours the black forest cake and fell asleep with two thoughts.

First, Muro-chin had the best taste in cakes.

Second, Nijimura’s name didn’t suit him.

****

The rest of the summer passed in a drag, with Atsushi watching tv, eating sweets and going grocery shopping with his parents. He didn’t want to go outside to play basketball because it was one of the hottest summers and he’d suffocated after twenty minutes outside. He was steadily getting taller and by the end of August he reached 175 centimetres tall.

He saw Muro-chin often in July as he was often invited by his mom to the mall together. It’d been a deal in which everyone wins, his mother could shop in peace, Atsushi got sweets from Muro-chin (many times in secret and they exchange looks when his mother wasn’t looking). As for Muro-chin, he said that he just wanted to be out of the house for as long as he could. His mother also took him with her at the cosmetics store because she’d figured out that Muro-chin knew a lot about make- up and what complimented each skin tone so Atsushi often ended up feeling bored for the first hour of their shopping.

August was even more boring because Muro-chin had gone to vacation with Nijimura out of town for three weeks.  The first time Atsushi heard about this from the man himself (Muro-chin of course, he would never stand to talk with the other) he pouted and sulked for five days until his sister dragged him with her and her friends to buy clothes. It wasn’t that bad as every hour or so they would buy him candy to distract him and all he had to do was follow them and sometimes hold their bags while they were in the fitting room. But being with Muro-chin was much more fun. 

In the rest of Muro-chin’s absence Atsushi started helping his mother in the kitchen and helping her make meals and desserts. His older brothers Shinsuke, Haru and Hajime had visited them a couple of times. Hajime was on a break from university studying engineering  so he had the most time to go back and forth. They had to actually visit Shinsuke as his job at a marketing company puts a lot of stress on his shoulders and in addition with his family of two daughters, a son and his wife the time to visit was not easy to find time to visit. Lastly Haru, being the workaholic he always was sometimes forgot to call so their mother had to go herself to _‘put him in place so he won’t forget again’_ as she said.

Finally at the last days of the month he finally heard Muro-chin coming back but because it was night he had to wait.

The next day at twelve in the morning he knocks at the door of apartment 302, with a bored face but on the inside he was excited.

The one who answered the door wasn’t Muro-chin.

“What do you want?” Nijimura said.

“Where is Muro-chin?” he asked boldly. They were at the same height so he had a lot more confidence now.

“Tatsuya? He’s sick”  the older pulled a cigarette into his mouth.

Atsushi became worried at the statement “Is he okay?” “I just told you he’s sick, kid. Now is there something else?” at the lack of response the man went back into the apartment “Good talk” and closed the door on his face.

When his mom came back from work that evening while they were making dinner he simply said “Muro-chin is sick” and she understood what had to be done.

The next day the at the same hour he knocked again and for the second time Nijimura answers “You never catch a break, do you?” he sneered at him but Atsushi ignored him and shoved the Tupperware to his chest.

“it’s chicken soup for Muro-chin to get well. I’ll come tomorrow.” And he went back to his apartment.

The same routine occurred for a week. Nijimura gave him the empty Tupperware and he gave in exchange something knew that he or his mother made. He could tell that Nijimura was at the end of his rope and frankly, he didn’t care. As long Muro-chin was well , everything else was fine.

Some of the nights when he laid down on his bed to sleep he heard shower running from Muro-chin apartment and other he was hearing intense thumping of a wall but the walls were thick so he couldn’t tell what it was. He hoped Muro-chin was getting better.

The third day of September their doorbell rang and behind the door was Muro-chin. But he didn’t look healthy. His skin was almost transparent, his visible eye had bags under it, he was wearing a surgical mask that covered half of his face  and he was slouching and clutching his side with one arm. His long sleeved shirt was baggy on him and his hair was limp and damp, maybe from the sweat as it was still scorching hot outside.

“Hello Atsushi. How are you?” he asked, his voice muffled, like everything was okay

“Muro-chin are you still sick?” the younger asked and rushed to the elder’s side to support him in case he fell.

“Sick? Ah, I’m fine, most of it has passed. I came to return this and thank you for bringing it.” He didn’t look at his face once while he was saying that.

“Muro-chin you are not  --”

“You’ve gotten taller since the last time I saw you. Very soon you’ll be taller than me” he tried to change the subject “I am sorry I can’t hang out with you due to my… sickness but in a week max I’ll be back on my feet so don’t worry.”  By the cringle in his mask it seemed that he smiled but he wasn’t sure.  Atsushi’s hands were itching to tear it of his face but he held himself.  He let him go and saw him go back into the apartment.

****

At Atsushi’s first day of school there a two new transfer students in his class. They were standing in the front of the classroom to introduce themselves as the teacher said  with the rest of the fifth graders looking at them with mixed emotions.

The dark-skinned boy  with the navy blue hair and eyes to match was called Aomine Daiki and had a confident aura around him while the pink haired girl next to him was more reserved but not shy was named Momoi Satsuki. They sat near Atsushi at the back and the moment Daiki saw him, he grinned and sat in his seat next to the girl.

While they were in recess all the children played together at various places of the playground. All except Atsushi with whom no one wanted to play because they were either scared of his height or sometimes they were using him to reach high stuff, which he was sick of. If they didn’t want to play with him, he didn’t want to play with them tenfold. If they provoke him, he will crush them.

But that soon changed.

“Woah! You’re really tall! Do you play basketball?” were the first words Aomine spoke to him while he was grinning like Christmas came early.  

“Dai-chan!  Say hi first! Don’t be rude!”  Momoi  chided whacking him in the back of his head.

“Ow! Dammit Satsuki! You’re so annoying!” he huffed “so? Do you play?”

Atsushi nodded, surprised that the talk to him. Aomine grinned “Cool! Play me!”

And so they played together during all recess and on every free moment at school. Him and Aomine were playing and Satsuki was sitting at the bleachers watching him.

After he went home that first day and started preparing lunch with his mother, she asks him how was school and she almost dropped the plate when he said “I made new friends, I guess”. She made him tell her everything that happened and Atsushi was actually excited to tell her that he had friends other than Muro-chin.

Who was acting strange.

He had taken off the mask but sometimes he was walking funnily and clutched his sides. His mother had told him that when he spoke to him that morning, he said he was fine but he looked anything but that. It made them worried. Muro-chin had gotten even more skinny than he was when they first met as his clothes have become baggier than before. He still came to visit though and once or twice he has volunteered to take care of Atsushi while he was in the house alone. They had fun then, Atsushi showed him how good he had become at cooking and made them lunch which Muro-chin ate very slowly but said that it was good and ate it that way so he won’t get full. It didn’t make any sense but let it be.

Perhaps one day all his friends could play together.

****

 His wish came true a few days later when he, Aomine and Momoi were playing basketball in a street court near his house. He and Aomine had gotten pretty close, not only in terms of basketball but also because both were pretty lazy and liked to eat which drove Momoi insane because she had to drag them almost everywhere. Atsushi started bringing a second bento with him to share as Aomine was often stuck with was Momoi’d made, usually something black and burned.

They were playing when they heard someone calling Atsushi’s name and rapid footsteps coming towards them.

“Oh thank goodness it’s you, I thought for a second I saw wrong”

“Muro-chin, what are you doing here?”

“I was doing groceries and heading back home when I saw a tall purple head and here I am” he said and ruffled his hair with the hand that was not holding the bags.

He could feel two pairs of eyes staring at them with curiosity so he turned to his other friends and lazily introduced them.

“Muro-chin that’s Mine-chin and Sa-chin. Sa-chin, Mine-chin this is Muro-chin.”

“Atsushi that’s not a proper introduction” he turned to the other kids “Hello, I am Himuro Tatsuya, Atsushi’s friend and neighbour. Nice to meet you” and bowed.

The kid, astounded with the formal tone hesitated for a moment until Satsuki made the first move and bowed, cheeks beet red but voice surprisingly steady “Hello, my name’s is Momoi Satsuki and this is Aomine Daiki, we’re Mukkun’s friends and classmates”

“Oh already with nicknames. I feel replaced” Himuro faked a sigh

“But Muro-chin is Muro-chin, that doesn’t change” he said confused gaining a mile from the elder.

“We’re playing basketball, do you play old man?” Aomine unashamedly asked making Satsuki shriek a “Dai-chan, you idiot!” and whack him in the head.

He man in question only laughed “I played years ago in high school and although I’m a little rusty I can show you a few tricks, youngster” Daiki grinned at the challenge.

Atsushi and Momoi sat at the bench with Himuro’s bags and watched the other two playing. Himuro had the ball and Aomine make an attempt to steal it and passed him with a fake and make a shot that left the kids amazed. Atsushi couldn’t help but admire how good was Muro-chin’s form as he made the shot.

“Woah! How did you do that! Satsuki did you see it? It was supposed to go lower but it went higher!” Aomine was yelling excitedly.

“It’s my special technique called mirage shot. It confused the opponent so he can’t block it.” Muro-chin explained.

Aomine’s eyes were full of stars as he gasped in awe “Teach it to me! Please please!” he clasped his hands together and begged him.

“No can do, if you learn my special technique, it would not be that special, don’t you think ?” the navy blued haired child visibly deflated “But,” his eyes lit up again “I can teach some other things about shooting and form. Your style reminds me a lot of the basket they play casually in the States but it’s not perfect yet, what do you say?” the question wasn’t even finished and Aomine was already shouting victory and calling Himuro sensei.

For the next hour the two started practicing different styles of shooting from textbook form to completely formless. Momoi was watching them carefully saying how admirable (and handsome) Himuro was and cheered happily. Atsushi huffed a frustrated sigh and crossed his arms over his chest. It wasn’t fair! He was happy that his friends were getting along but Muro-chin was HIS friend first who introduced them. He was supposed to teach HIM how to play basketball. And he was taller than Mine-chin so he would be MUCH more fun to practise with. 

It seemed that Himuro has caught up his Atsushi’s bad mood as he turned to him and beckoned him to come play with them. Atsushi pretending to be bored, lazily walked towards them.

They started playing with teams, sometimes Muro-chin  and Mine-chin together to practise their passes and dribbling and other times Atsushi and Muro-chin were trying to stop Mine -chin from scoring, all under Sa-chin’s cheering.

They had lost track of time but the sun was starting to set without being too dark when a voice made Muro-chin freeze mid shot and miss it.

“Tatsuya!” they all faced the source of the shout and saw Nijimura with a deep frown on his face.

Himuro immediately let go of the ball and headed to the bench to pick up his bags and almost run to him but not before he warned the kids to not stay long when it gets dark.

Atsushi frowned as he saw Nijimura frowning at Muro-chin staring at him and without a word he started walking.

With Muro-chin’s departure the kids made their way to pack their things and head to Mine-chin’s house to have a sleepover. Mine-chin was grumbling about the ‘asshole old man that took his teacher and ruined the fun’ but Sa-chin was silent even when she heard Mine-chin’s cursing and was still throwing glances at the path where Muro-chin went.

At their sleepover when Mine-chin had dropped dead from exhaustion and a little before the other two , Sa-chin told him about how weird was the way Nijimura grabbed Muro-chin’s wrist and dragged him away from the court.

****

It was Atsushi’s birthday and he was up earlier than usual because he was full of glee. His birthday was his favourite day as he got gifts and he could eat as much sweets as he wanted without his parents saying anything. Many times now, their family has given up on trying to give him clothes as presents as he grew out of them fast and just gave in and bought cakes and huge candy bags.

Today they were going to his brother Shinsuke’s house as it was the biggest and could accommodate all of their family for the day. He’d also invited Sa-chin and Mine-chin to celebrate together. But because it was far away from their  city, they were all going to stay for the night.  Their parents started talking since the second day of school as they wanted to know who was the kid that befriended their kid who didn’t like anyone.

It was early in the morning and they were checking the last details, their father down at the car preparing when the doorbell rang.

“Himuro-kun! Good morning!” his mother greets happily.

“Sakura-san, Mika, Atsushi good morning” the man greets back with a polite yet warm smile “I heard shuffle from here and I guessed that you must be leaving so I wanted to give Atsushi my present before you left.”  He moved his hands from behind him and showed them a rectangular shaped thing with purple wrapping and white ribbon tied to an elegant bow.

“Oh my! You shouldn’t have! Atsushi, you know what to do right?” his mother pats his shoulder in encouragement.

He doesn’t think twice and envelopes Muro-chin in a tight hug. He knows he’s is going to love the presents because if Muro-chin has the best taste in cakes, he has the best taste in everything. He is still a little shorter than the elder but it doesn’t stop him from putting his arms around Muro-chin’s  waist and resting is chin on his shoulder and says thank you

His grin loosens a little at the startled wince that leaves the elder’s lips and he is about to pull completely back when arms go around his shoulders.

“I really hope you’ll like it.”  There is the tiniest wobble on his voice when he says that.

And then they pull back. Himuro puts a hand his other side , little below his ribs.

“I’d like for you to do me a favour and open it with all the other presents okay?”

“Don’t worry dear! I’ll make sure of it!” him mother took the gift and put it in her bag “are you sure you can’t come? We have space for you in the car?” her tone is lightly disappointed.

“I’m very sorry but Shuuzo comes back from a business trip and I have to pick him up from the airport.”

At the mention of him, his mother and sister both frowned but let it go.  Atsushi wondered why his sister looks so enraged.

They left after that, Himuro waved at them as they leave the drive way.

“Mika, is something wrong?” Toshiro asks his daughter as she hasn’t soften the look on her face.

She seems deep in thought for a moment looking out the window like the trees will give her the answer.

In the end, she sighed and ran a hand through her hair “it’s not the right time, now let’s just enjoy the stupid’s birthday” and flicked Atsushi’s ear causing him to let out a whine.

They arrived at his brother’s house in a lighter mood.  The one who opens the door is Shinsuke himself looking like the perfect blending of their mother and father’s  colours  with dark black-violet hair and eyes. He hugged them all as he welcomed them and sneaked a chocolate bar in Atsushi’s hand.

Many members of their family had already arrived, none of them hadn’t inherited the tall gene of the Murasakibara family. Even their in-laws were above average height.

He spent the first minutes (that seem like hours to him) greeting his aunts and uncles and getting his cheeks painfull pinched. After that he went to play with his cousins.

Mine-chin and Sa-chin arrived two hours later after having a little difficulty with finding the house and they were all smiles and grins. Mine-chin’s looking around at the tall family and everone could see his jealous look.

They all played together until dinner was ready and then sat on the gigantic table to eat. The food was enough to feed two armies and they all went at it like they’d been starving for years. Atsushi sat between Hajime and Haru, the three of them exchanging the stuff they didn’t like but their mother still put in their plates, demanding them to eat them.

Finally the time for the cake came and his mother cleared the table and put a giant cake in front of him while everybody else sang the birthday song to him. With a deep breath he blew the candles and everybody was taking pictures of everybody.

“Alright! It’s time for presents!” Shinsuke’s wife, Yuka announced and motioned to the giant pile of presents.  Atsushi’s hands itched terribly from the excitement.

As predicted, many of them were edible but there are many others. Hajime gives him a big physics kit as they both shared an interest in the subject , Haru gave him a playstation ‘so he won’t get bored easily at the apartment  and Shinsuke gave him new sneakers.

Sa-chin and Mine-chin bought him a new basketball so they can play with it better and many of his aunts gifted him clothes that are now too big for him but said it’s supposed to be that way because they will fit along the way.

It’s late at night when the first relatives left and the only ones that remained are the main Murasakibara family, the Aomines and the Momois who would spend the night here.

Suddenly , his mothers gasped and started cursing under  her breath while running to her bag “we forgot Himuro-kun present!” and came back with the familiar purple gift.

Eveybody gathered around Atsushi as he, surprisingly carefully unwrapped the gift and pulled the actual present. He gasped at what he saw.

Muro-chin gave a book that says ‘1001 cheap and tasty pastry recipes from all over the world’. He quickly started going through it an saw pictures of delicious tarts and cakes and tiramisus and almost drooled on it.

“How nice of Himuro-kun to give you such a thoughtful present” his father exclaimed, impressed.  Atsushi beamed like never before and pulled the book on his chest like a precious jewel.

“Of course! Muro-chin has the best taste in sweets!”

“oh man! I was expecting something about basketball from sensei.” Mine-chin pouted. He had developed a strong teacher-student bond with the older man as they’d met a few more times since the first. Aomine admired his style, the complete opposite from his own yet so beautiful and powerful. He was teaching the younger about the techniques they used in street basketball in america along with standard moves that might not be as formless as the younger wants but were really fun too.

“Dai-chan! Don’t be so rude!” she turned to Atsushi “Himuro-san has a good taste in gifts” she tells him and blushes a bit. Atsushi didn’t understand why her face was red, but he shrugged it off. Girls are strange.

That night he went to sleep with the book on the nightstand, right next to his bed, afraid that someone could steal it.

****

The three families left the house a little after lunch, Atsushi’s family car in the lead and the other two following.

The music was playing and there was a comfortable silence in the car. The only thing astray was that Mika’s behaviour was like when the left the apartment the day before no one realy catches on it.

Until she spoke.

“when I was out with Mikoto a few days ago, we saw Nijimura going to a hotel a some lady” her tone was angry and cold at the same time.

The silence turned freezing cold.

“I am sure there is an explanation” his father unsure voice broke it.

“they both said they’re roommates” his mother said with the same tone, like she was trying to convince herself.

“Yeah just roommates mom, even Himuro himself said he’s in a relationship for seven years. That’s like since he was MY age!” she tried to convince them.

“Mom! Dad! Do you listen to yourselves?” she said loudly.

“Mika! I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding! Maybe she was a colleague in trouble and he wanted to help!” Toshiro said.

“Yeah right, like that asshole is nice to anyone” “Mika!”

 “yeah yeah, not in front of the squirt, I got it.” The car went once again silent.

Atsushi didn’t understand any of what they were saying . The only thing he got is that his family thinks Nijimura is stupid. He knew that what they were saying had a deeper meaning but they wouldn’t tell him like they always do when they think he’s too young.

“so, we just do nothing?” Mika speaks again, this time with sadness in her voice.

No one answered.

****

The month of October passed in a blur. The three kids went after school to play basketball at the court near their houses. Sometimes Muro-chin came too as Atsushi told him how much they want to play together and the older caved every time.

His family and Muro-chin were getting along even better than before too. Himuro came to eat with them many times if Nijimura was away on a business trip (his family made the same angered expression every time he told them about him and Atsushi has started to do it too as he thought Nijimura was stupid and an asshole-he won’t say that because he’ll get grounded)

It’s Saturday October 29th in the noon when he remembered that Muro-chin’s birthday was a day away.

He quickly told his mother to make her remember too and the two of them thought about what to do on that day.

They knew that Muro-chin was a very private person so a party is out of the question.

Then his dad popped the idea “why don’t you just make him a cake? I am sure he’ll appreciate it”

A lightbulb lit up in his head and runs to his room.

He opened the book Himuro gave him for his birthday. He looked every page for minutes hoping to find the one cake Muro-chin would like the most!

Then he saw it: a simple caramel cake with a smooth surface. Out of all the fancy stuff the book has (Atsushi liked fancy cakes so maybe that’s why Himuro picked it) it’s the one Atsushi is convinced to his core that it’d be perfect.

He took it to his mother and she scanned the ingredients and stated that they needed to go to the grocery store because they didn’t have any of them. Fortunately the cake’s simple ingredients so one trip would be more than enough.

Atsushi asks if he can call Sa-chin and Mine-chin  to make it together. She nods and tells him to tell them to meet at the store.

In half an hour there were three kids and the woman on a mission.  Mine-chin was deadly serious about what to get and not to drop anything and Sa-chin read all the tags on the products to see that nothing was rotten or bad quality.  Even Atsushi didn’t get distracted when they pass the sweets aisle and just got what he needs, surprising his mother enough to let an audible gasp. They all understood that Muro-chin’s birthday was a big day and they wanted to make it perfect! They grabbed a few cheap birthday party decorations too to put them in the house.

They started baking the moment they took of their shoes and washed their hands, each one of them wearing a small apron. His mother didn’t let them near  the oven but he made them do stuff like mixing and add the ingredients. Mika came back a little after they start and the moment she learnt what they were doing, she got into the kitchen and held the bowl so they could mix it with more force.

After thirty three minutes, the cake was baked and  it needed to be added the frosting. They all  did a part of it and the result was some parts being messy from Mine-chin and Sa-chin and Mika and others were smooth from Atsushi and his mom.

The cake was done and left to chill in the late afternoon and his mother called the other kids families to say that they were going to stay here for the night.  In the meanwhile they tried to put the decorations in the house to make it more festive, but changed their minds when Sa-chin suggested that they made it a surprise and first invite Himuro for dinner and after that the bring the cake. To them, the idea was genius.

His mother said that was time for dinner as their father just returned for work. While his mother gave him a brief summary, the kids went the next door apartment and knocked the door. Muro-chin opened is and his visible eye widened in surprise.

“Aomine-kun, Momoi-chan what a pleasant surprise. Isn’t a little late for basketball?” he asked and pulled his long sleeved wool jacket tighter to his body.

“it’s not that, we wanted to invite you for dinner” Sa-chin looked at him with pleading puppy eyes. They knew Muro-chin was weak to their cute looks and that he’d accept.

The dinner went smoothly no one acted any different and Muro-chin didn’t catch the hidden smiles of his companions.

After the dinner the kids went to the kitchen to fetch the cake as the adults were distracting Muro-chin. Sa-chin lit up the sole candle and Mine-chin put the little fireworks on it and headed back in the living room, Atsushi holding the cake like some kind of treasure.

Then, the yelled “HAPPY BIRTHDAY MURO-CHIN” (they had practiced) and blew the party whistles.

Himuro flinched  at the sudden yell and got off his chair in the speed of light. When he looked at his hosts and then the cake he slowly sat back down with a confused (and somewhat frightened) look .

“What’s this?” he asked, confused.

“It’s a surprise! For your birthday today, duh!” Mika squealed happily.

“unfortunately, we didn’t get you any presents so we hope the cake is enough.” Toshiro sheepishly said as he put the dessert plate and utensils on the table.

“is th-….is that for me?” his voice had cracked in the middle of sentence

“of course dear! Everybody helped to make it, right kids?” his mother turned to them.

“Yeah! look sensei! I made this part! You can tell because it’s the best right? Right?”

“Muro-chin are you crying?” Atsushi asked when he saw him put his hands between his parted knees.

After a moment of silence, Muro-chin lifted his head, his face clear of tears and got up to hug Mine-chin and Sa-chin who were nearer.

“I’m fine. I’ve …I’ve never been better” he gave the two kids a big hug “Thank you Aomine-kun, Momoi-chan” 

“Not fair! I want a hug too!” surprisingly it was Mika that whined pathetically like that and the older man laughing let go of the kids and hugged her too. He then moved on to Atsushi and wrapped his arms around his shoulders

“Thank you” he whispered breathlessly

“It’s from the book that Muro-chin gave me, so it’ll be an awesome cake” was his reply.

Muro-chin’s laugh was music to his ears.

They sang the birthday song to him and Muro-chin blow the single candle with a laughing breath.

The cake was amazing, the rich caramel flavour melting in their taste buds and Atsushi officially has a favourite king of cake.

After a little while the kids were starting to doze off so his mother told them to go to the bedroom and rest for the night.

“But I want to stay with Muro-chin!” this time, is was Atsushi who whined pathetically and the other two made a noise of agreement.

“Atsushi, Aomine-kun, Momoi-chan, please go have some rest. I will be very sad if you don’t get proper sleep and today it’s my birthday” Muro-chin said sadly.

“If you say so” was the common reply and the kids went to their beds after saying good night to the adults.

They fell asleep with smiles on their faces that night.

****

It was a week later when it happened.

The day had started of normal with the family going to the city to meet up with Hajime who wanted to visit, as he took the weekend off of university and his part time job as a cashier.

It was afternoon when they were driving back when the heard the familiar siren of an ambulance on the safe zone of the road. They lost is in moments due to the traffic on their lane.

the situation became all the more worrisome and scary as they saw that same ambulance pulling on their driveway.

The family quickly parked the car and went towards their apartment. When they went up to their floor, the sight was scarred into Atsushi’s memory.

A blonde woman was holding Nijimura in a vice grip and he was trying to squirm away for it. The door to apartment 302 was broken and they could hear a rough male voice calling ‘Tatsuya’ over and over again.

“Make one more move and I’m gonna break your fucking arms!” the woman snarled at Nijimura.

“Don’t fuck with me bitch! I’m going to put you in jail!” the man hissed at her.

“We’ll see who’s gonna go in jail after they hear how much of a bastard you are, you piece of shit!” and then a sickening crack was heard along with Nijimura’s scream

Meanwhile, the inside of the apartment had gone quiet. Then rustling and shuffling were heard and a big man with broad shoulders and crimson hair came out carrying a half-naked and bleeding Himuro.

The man passed through them without a word and goes into the elevator. Atsushi sees limp raven hair and a wide dark grey eye in a tear streaked, bruised and bleeding face looking at him in horror and grief.

The elevator door closed.

****

The rest became a blur. Atsushi is rushed to their apartment and his mother told him to go to his room. He couldn’t fight the defeated tone in her voice and his father’s hard eyes.

They heard a police siren and shouting –probably from Nijimura.

The next minute their doorbell rang.

Atsushi couldn’t tell who it was but he was suspecting either a police officer or the blond lady. Maybe both.

Their conversations were hushed but the only thing that Atsushi could clearly hear was his mother and sister’s  sobbing after a few minutes of it.

He doesn’t know if he wants to hear what happened.

****

Three days later, their phone rang. His mother picked it up and after a few words, she ended the call and went to sit next to him on their living-room couch.

“Atsushi do you want to see Himuro-kun?” she asked with a hoarse voice.

His response is immediate.

****

The hospital walls were a rotten and dead a white and the spell made Atsushi scrunch his nose in disgust.

He and his mother (his father could only take so many days of for something that’s not about immediate family and his sister said that she wasn’t strong enough to come) found the blond lady and the man with the crimson hair standing in front of a hospital room, their expressions grim and worried.

“Good morning Alexandra-san” his mother greeted them first.

“Good morning Sakura-san. This is Kagami Taiga, Himuro’s brother. This must be Atsushi-kun.”

He simply nodded.

“Himuro is about to wake up, do you want to go alone?” she asked, the man named Kagami was watching him carefully. But he wasn’t intimidated.

“I’ll come wit-” his mother started but he cut her off

“I’ll go alone” his voice was determined and very unlike him.

She nodded and gestured to the door.

He took a deep breath and opened it.

The room was like the corridor, deadly white. The bed in the centre of the room was full of white sheets.

And Muro-chin was currently sleeping on it.

He looked like a ghost, sickly pale skin and bony wrists wrapped with bandages with the pale green short sleeved hospital gown, baggy on the part of the frame that wasn’t covered by hospital blankets, emphasizing his scrawny body and showing an awful lot of bruises.

Atsushi also noticed that his hair wasn’t covering this left eye like usual and there was an scar above his now visible eye.  It seemed healed like it’d happened a long time ago.

A groan escaped Muro-chin’s pale lips as he slowly opened his eyes. Atsushi was watching him blink to adjust his eyes to the light and then looking around him.

Their eyes finally met. Muro-chin’s widened. He opened his mouth to say something but then closed it again.

Atsushi didn’t know what to say or do.

Muro-chin lifted one of his hands, the one closest to him, with the fingerprinted bruises, the one with the cords going directly to his veins and slowly, silently tried to reach tried to reach for his shoulder length violet hair. Atsushi bowed so he could help him.

Pale slender fingers gave feathery strokes to his hair, barely noticeable if he wasn’t so aware of them.

“Thank you Atsushi” his voice was hoarse and in desperate need of water but the younger couldn’t find himself to move a muscle “And… and I-I’m sorry” it was like a dam broke and Muro-chin’s dark grey eyes filled with tears “I – I am so so so sorry Atsushi, I’m sorry , I’m sorry, I’m sorry for being so disgusting, I’m sorry” after that, his speech was a stream of apologies and words that Atsushi would never describe Muro-chin yet the man was using now to describe himself with.

A hand clasped his shoulder and turn to see Kagami, wearing a sad expression on his face as he watched his brother sob and hate himself. The red head told him that his time was up and that his mother was waiting outside.

He didn’t speak a word as he left the hospital room, feeling helpless and in need to crush something with his hands.

****

“Mom, what happened to Muro-chin?” he asked her that same day when they came back from the hospital with a tone that demanded for nothing to be left unsaid.

****

Atsushi was eleven  when he saw Muro-chin for the last time in that hospital room.

****

The next months off school were going like normal. His was doing homework, did his physics homework perfectly much to his father’s dismay and was eating a lot of sweets like normal.

The only thing was that Mine-chin and Sa-chin were asking him a lot of unnecessary questions.

They were asking him if he was okay and every time they were at the street court, they were asking about Muro-chin.

After the second month of stupid questions he finally snapped and started yelling at them to shut up. Sa-chin’s eyes became watery with tears and Mine-chin’s with rage as he flew his smaller body towards him and his fist found Atsushi’s face. He vaguely heard Sa-chin’s terrified scream.

Before he could punch the stupid blue haired boy back he froze.

He just yelled at his friends.

The first friends his age.

The first friends after Muro-chin.

So that night, at the street court, he cried and told them the story.

Their faces changed from horrified to enraged to helplessly sad.

They hugged him as they all cried together.

****

During the sixth grade, Atsushi became even taller reaching at 186 cm.

Everything had gone back to normal. He had a family, friends and sweets.

Yet there was always something missing.

****

All three of them decide to enrol to Teiko middle school as it has a good basketball team and good academics.

Mine chin and him make the first string easily both with their respective skills. Atsushi was sure that his height played an important role.  His teammates turned out to be talented and hardworking too.

And they became the Generation of Miracles, a powerful team that won every game they played. The crowd cheered for them. And they appreciated every game and every opponent by doing their best because that’s good sportsmanship.

And every time he played he looked to the bleachers, looking for one familiar face. He sometimes caught Mine-chin doing it too when he makes one of his signature shots. Sa-chin sat in the bench, writing notes and strategies as every manager does with a faraway look in her eyes.

****

Atsushi  was near the end of first year in middle school when he got his first kiss.

The weather was turning warmer and warmer and he had started getting ice-cream from the shop three blocks far from school. The second week of his new routine he found out that Kise-chin also comes here after school. They started going together since then because it was nice to hang out with a friend and there was also an if you get three cones you get the fourth for free sale.

They were sitting in their usual spot in the park, in a bench under a tree that provided just enough shade for one of them and by his body-built, it wasn’t Atsushi.

Kise-chin was talking about a new modelling job he got and how much was going to affect his career when he noticed that his ice-cream was dripping. He quickly licked of his fingers and continued to eat it, while Atsushi was staring at his face.

The blonde felt his gaze and turned to him “is there something on my face, or am I just too beautiful for you to handle?” he asked in a mischievous tone.

He knew the other was beautiful, he was the only one with a fan club after all, except maybe Akashi. He had girls all over him when he entered the school, was confessed to almost every week and he was a model.  Handsome features, cat like eyes and plump lips. The ones he was staring right now.

The ones that a moment later were on his, tasting like chocolate and strawberry.

He stayed put until it was over.

Kise-chin’s face wasn’t embarrassed, just sheepish “Hehe, you looked like you wanted a kiss, so I gave you one.”

“but I don’t like Kise-chin” he said bluntly making the other laugh.

“I don’t like you either… I mean, as a boyfriend I don’t so that kiss didn’t matter right?” he said as if it was obvious “or are you mad I took your first kiss?” his tone turned shy.

He wasn’t mad, Kise-chin was right.  They were still friends and that wasn’t going to change. He wasn’t attracted to Kise-chin in that way.

So he and Kise-chin spent the afternoon experimenting in kissing like friends, and that would never change.

****

Atsushi  enrolled in the Health committee during Teiko, surprising them all because they didn’t think it suited his personality at all, much less stick with it for three years . Sa-chin gave him a knowing smile and joined him.

Mido-chin was also part of it and he was taking very seriously as his father was an ER doctor at the city’s biggest hospital and his mother was a psychologist and of course because he wanted to be a doctor himself. He was surprised when Atsushi and Momoi asked him to teach them first aid but he complied anyway.

One day during their third year, when they team was supposed to have their monthly check-up they saw the nurse wrapping a bandage around one girl’s wrist. The moment they walked in, she flinched and stared at them with frightened eyes until the nurse called her.

“hey, everything is going to be alright sweetheart, you’re safe here. Pay attention only to me.” She told her with a gentle and motherly voice and gave a meaningful glance on them.  They quietly walked out and waited on the corridor.

“You’ve seen this before” Mido-chin stated after a moment of silence.

He, along with Akashi, Kuroko and Kise turned to their teammates who were all wearing a blank façade.

There was no answer. The girl came out the door and without looking any of them in the eye she ran to her class. He nurse motioned them to come in.

Instead of practice that day, the rest of the Teiko team learned how much Himuro meant to their three teammates from the way Aomine’s voice was constantly in the verge of breaking.

****

After Teiko they went to different high schools, Mido-chin, Kise-chin , Kuro-chin and Mine-chin attended to near schools from each other but not the same because they live in different districts of the city. Aka-chin decided to attend  Rakuzan, a high quality private school that will help him become an excellent business man so he can inherit his father’s companies.

Atsushi’s family moves from the apartment 303, when they heard that apartment 302 was going to be occupied soon.  It was an unanimous decision. So he attended Yosen high school. It was built like a boarding school but it was still co-ed.

He didn’t continue playing basketball because it wasn’t the same without his friends. They were constantly trying to scout him just by looking at him at first (who wouldn’t want a 208 cm giant on their team) and then when they recognized him from the Generation of Miracles. But he declines, each time with more annoyance in his voice.

One day, he looks at the pictures in the glass case that the trophies are. He sees a picture of a healthy, beaming Muro chin with the Yosen basketball jersey, covered in sweat and his arm in the shoulders of a smiling Nijimura who is having an arm around Muro-chin’s back.

He wants to punch the glass and tear the picture in shreds.

****

He is seventeen in the new year’s family gather one of his aunts whose name he doesn’t remember asked him if he had a girlfriend.

He ignored her and continued to eat. His close family knows that there’s only one person in his life and they smile at his lack of answer. Even his older brothers that haven’t meet him know how important he is to Atsushi.

And that’s enough.

****

And here he is now, at his high school graduation. He doesn’t even stay for the after party as he goes in the car that’s waiting for him. His family drives him to the airport when his flight is taking off.

He looked at Akashi’s message. It was sent a month ago when Atsushi told him where he was going for university.  It had an flower store address on it a Atsushi immediately understood what is was about.

Akashi has sources everywhere after all.

He receives messages from the Generation of Miracles most saying a simple good luck but he knows that all of them are on the edge of their seats. Especially Mine-chin and Sa-chin who despite their short messages, were talking to him last night in tears.

His flight is about to board when his sister gives him a hug, trying to hold back the tears. She hugs him fully as their height difference is giving him only a 10cm advantage.

His father gives him an encouraging pat on the back and a smile. Lastly his mother only gives him a nod with a clear message.

****

The fight takes land at the same night and there is a car with a driver hired by the Akashi family who drives him at said family’s hotel.  Atsushi unpacks his stuff and then falls asleep from the mental exhaustion.

 The next day he wakes up a lot earlier than usual but for today it doesn’t matter. He showers and changes clothes, he finds his wallet, his phone and the rooms key , takes them and leaves.

He is still bad with directions after all these years but luckily in his message Akashi writes in excruciating detail how to get to the destination.

After half an hour which would be fifteen minutes if he hadn’t taken the wrong train, he finally arrives in front of the shop. It’s called ‘Flowery Language’ and it’s a small space full with the colours of the hundreds of flowers there.

He takes a deep breath and goes inside, the small bell signalling his arrival. There is no one on the counter and there aren’t any other costumers either.

He hears footsteps approaching from the back and then the velvety voice he remembers from seven years ago says in a light teasing tone

“Goshiki-kun I am well aware that you want your flowers already but I haven’t opened the sh—” the voice stops as violet eyes meet dark grey and Atsushi’s words die in his throat and all he can do is stare.

Muro-chin looks even more beautiful than he remembers, the colour of his skin a healthier pale shade that immediately pushes the memory of the sickly white away, his hair is a little longer, almost reaching his chin and always covering his left eye.  His body is much less thinner as he now can see the lean muscles in his tight black long sleeved shirt and his white apron makes his eye a beautiful grey, like the clouds after a storm.

“A-Atsushi?” he asks in astonishment as he takes him in, noticing every difference from that time.

He still can’t speak, so the only thing he does is going to him and pull him in a tight hug, his long arms around the elder’s slender waist.  Muro-chin doesn’t flinch away from him which is a huge relief and puts his arms around Atsushi’s neck.

They stay like this for what seems like years when Muro-chin starts stroking his shoulder length violet hair “You’ve gotten so tall Atsushi” he says with a breathy voice, like all the air has left his lungs.

Atsushi pulls away just enough to see Muro-chin’s face. He pulls his raven hair – it’s even softer than has ever imagined—out of his eye and sees them water, ready to shed tears. He places a kiss on top of Muro-chin’s scar and nuzzles his nose on his hair, breathing in the smell of caramel and flowers.

“I’ve found you Muro-chin.” Are the only words he could say.

Muro-chin’s smile is blinding.

“Atsushi I have a shop to open”

“But Muro-chin!” Atsushi whines and pouts like the ten year old he still is sometimes.

 The shop doesn’t have many costumers as it’s in the middle of the week so Atsushi has a lot of opportunities to hug Muro-chin while he’s catering the flowers or checks ton he computer.

“Atsushi I have to make this bouquet” Himuro says in a stern tone as he tries to cut the stems off of a bunch of calla lilies.

“Don’t wanna” is the blunt answer.

Atsushi feels Himuro turn in his arms and then there’s a soft and brief sensation in his cheek.

“Please?” Muro-chin pouts and Atsushi would have let his arms drop in an instant.

If he didn’t placed his hand on the side of his face and pulled their lips close, a few centimetres, separating them.

He looks at the elder’s full lips and then into his eyes, silently asking a question

He answers by closing the distance between them.

No matter how much practice he had with Kise-chin, he would ever be ready for something like this. For the complete fire and ice in his mind calming and firing up his thoughts at the same time and leaving him helpless to the unknown emotion.

“Woah Woah! I thought this was a flower shop, not a sex parade.” A female voice was heard along with a male one sputtering, making them pull apart.

“Alex, Taiga what are you doing here?” Himuro was surprisingly calm about this.

“What? Am I not allowed to see my dear student and not-blood-related son in his place of work?”  it’s the blond woman from the hospital who fakes a dramatic sigh. Next to her is his brother Kagami staring holes into them.

“Never mind, this is Atsushi. Atsushi this Alexandra Garcia and Kagami Taiga, the closest thing I have as famiy.” He smiles

“Hey, are you that tall kid from years ago?” Kagami approached him with a menacing look “ if you hurt Tatsuya I’m gonna hunt you down, you hear?”

“Taiga!”

“yeah kid, you might be built like a brickhouse but I’m sure I can judo the crap outta you” Alexandra adds

“Not you too Alex!”

“What? We’re telling him the facts!”

“I will never hurt Muro-chin” Atsushi interrupts both of them. All three look at him in surprise.

After heavy silence it’s Kagami who speaks

“I really fucking hope so”

****

A week after his arrival at the town, the rest of the Generation of Miracles come to the shop.

The moment Mine-chin sees himuro he envelops him a a tight hug lifts him up and spins him around like their ages have reversed. Sa-chin staying her place overwhelmed by her emotions.

“It’s good to see you Aomine-kun” he says as he pats he younger’s back reassuringly “I’m sorry I left so suddenly”

“It’s fine sensei, I understand. Just… just don’t leave again, okay?” it’s surprising for someone that doesn’t know Aomine for long to see his vulnerable side as he gets attached to the people he loves.

“of course” he looks over to Momoi “aren’t you going to say hello, Momoi-chan” that and a tender smile make Momoi run to him and cry on his shoulder.

“there, there Momoi-chan. It’s okay, let it out.” He tells her while rubbing her back until her sobs turn into sniffles.

The other Miracles are standing a little further, in awkward silence and not knowing if they are interrupting an emotional scene.

“I’m sorry, with all the ruckus I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Himuro Tatsuya, thank you for taken care of them while I was gone” and he smiles.

Akashi and Midorima fake cough to hide their brush and Kise loudly complains about how unfair it is to lose his title as the most beautiful so easily. “Himurocchi you’re so unfair!” he whines.

Himuro closes the shop and decides to take them to a good restaurant as they hadn’t eaten since before the flight.

Kagami arrives after them, since Himuro had called him and the moment he walked in Mine-chin chokes on his food. Kagami rushed over to him and performed an Hemlock manoeuvre on him.

“My hero” he exclaims and falls into his arms.

“Get off of me, you shitty brat!”

the fight is broken up by a few of Akashi’s words and his deadly aura, making the two men sit quietly on the opposite sites of the table. The miracles know that Akashi can be downright ruthless when he’s hungry.

They order much more food than the can handle “Don’t worry, half of it is for Taiga” he says as the crimson-haired man devours half of the ordered meat like a member of the Murasakibara family would do. He’ll be a good fit in their family, Atsushi thinks as he looks a Himuro lovingly as the latter is laughing at Midorima’s reaction to Kagami’s inhale of the food.

“so hot” he can hear Mine-chin saying under his breath as Kagami starts his fourth stake.

****

He rents an apartment with Mine-chin and Sa-chin as they’ll all start attending the same university from now on. The apartment is half an hour away from campus and half an hour away from Muro-chin and Kagami’s house, so they are not far away from each other.

The moment they settle and unpack their stuff, Aomine drags them all for a game of basketball. Himuro brings Kagami with him and Mine-chin all but sparkles when he hears that Kagami plays too.

Most of the times the game ends up as an one-on-one between Kagami and Aomine as Himuro loses stamina ( _maybe I’m getting too old_ he says one day, and everyone jumps to reassure him that he isn’t  and compliment him a lot, Atsushi would be almost jealous sometimes) and Atsushi gets bored. When Himuro asks them what they’ll be doing in college Sa-chin says that she’ll be a psychologist so that she can help those in need and gives Himuro a meaningful glance that would put him in tears if Atsushi didn’t say that he’s going to be a pastry chef.

“I’m sure that everything you make will be amazing”

“Muro-chin is going to be here to try them all, right?”

“of course but after a while I get fat.”

“Muro-chin always looks beautiful”

They too are interrupted by Mine-chin’s declaration that he’s been scouted by the university and he’ll be on a sports scholarship. It would be impressive if it wasn’t the ninth time he says it.

“think about it Bakagami! Me a police officer, you a fireman …… it’ll be almost like working together”

“Piss of, bratty Ahomine! I’m sure you’ll get handcuffed to the police car in your first patrol!”

“If that happens…. Will you be into that?”

“Screw you!”

“take me on a date first you stinky old fart!”

The three people on the bench sigh and Sa-chin and Muro-chin start comparing Kagami’s and Mine-chin’s schedule and taste in order to they can set them up so they don’t have to dance around each other any longer, for everyone’s sanity.

****

It’s Atsushi’s birthday when Himuro finds the courage to come to the family celebration and see his parents. He said he was ready to talk to them yet, and they understood. Things like that take time.

The party is once again happening in Shinsuke’s house, like an unspoken tradition. On their way, Atsushi sees that Muro-chin is nervous by the way he fidgets with his shirt and pulls his sleeves to cover his bandaged wrists.  With them in the same car is Mine-chin, Sa-chin as they come every year and Kagami as he wants to meet Atsushi’s family and to be by Muro-chin’s side as his family.

They arrive at the house a little a late and find difficultly at parking. They take their luggage and ring the doorbell.

The one who opens the door is Mika, wearing one of her stupidly fancy dresses again and hugs Mine-chin and Sa-chin. She sees Atsushi and gives him a punch in the shoulder and a ‘happy birthday’ and her eyes zero on Himuro a few steps away.

Her smile threatens to split her face (Atsushi kind of hopes it will) and lets out a breathy ‘oh my god’ as she pulls Himuro in a bone-crashing hug.

“I’m so so so glad you’re here Himuro-kun! We’ve missed you so much!” she yells into his ear drawing the attention of the other guest.

“I’m glad I’m here too Mika” he responds quietly but honestly.

“Come in come in, leave the luggage Atsushi will take it” she glares at her brother’s horrible manners and takes Himuro’s hand to pull him inside.

“Make yourself at home, I’m sure everybody will love you!”  she says as she makes him sit near the thermostat.  Some of the guest are confused about the new face and a few of them gasp as they might have heard of him.

His mother is the first one to approach in as he is pulled back again in a Murasakibara family like hug.

“Himuro-kun,  I am so so sorry” she whispers to him in a sad voice.

“I’ve moved on Sakura-san and so will you.” He returns her embrace “I have you, Atsushi and everyone now, so when things are not okay, I’ll turn to you for help” 

“Of course, will be here, whenever you need us.”

“You can rely on us any time” Toshiro-san confirms.

The atmosphere lifts up from here. Atsushi introduces them to his nieces and nephews, the kids mesmerized by his beauty and almost instantly cling to him. He does cards trick to them (where did he get them from?) and they are staring at him in awe.

He also meets his older brothers and after he outsmarts  Hajime’s atrocious pick-up lines (Atsushi has to intervene for a moment annoyed that his brother flirts with his boyfriend ) the elder Murasakibaras and Himuro go for a game of billiards.

“Cool, I’m sick of destroying  just both of you losers” says Shinsuke before he gets crushed by Himuro,  causing said losers to lose it.

“Dude, teach me like, yesterday” commands Hajime as he watches Himuro sending the white ball about one of Shinsuke’s and hitting the one that’s his and putting it effortlessly in the pocket.

“I don’t even play pool, carom billiards is my specialty” says Haru arrogantly

Needless to say, he gets crushed in carom billiards too.

Atsushi might or might not get a little turned on by watching Muro-chin bending over so many times on the table and showing his brothers who’s the boss.

When dinner time comes, Atsushi’s family is impressed with Kagami’s appetite as he almost catches up with his father’s sister who’s is known for her strong stomach. Atsushi sits next to Muro-chin and put’s everything he knows the older likes in his plate despite the latter’s protest.  Since seven years ago, Muro-chin’s eating more portions with less worries about the calories.

When it’s time for the cake he puts his arm around Himuro to keep him in place and together they blow the candles. His mother snaps about a hundred pictures of the two of them together.

After that Himuro announces that he and Kagami have to go. Everyone complains as they have taken a like to the two.

“You can stay here, we have plenty of rooms” Yuka tries to convince them.

“Yeah Bakagami, you can share a bed with me!” Aomine declares, gaining whacks from both Momoi and Kagami.

“We wouldn’t want to intrude in a family tradition” the raven says reasonably.

“Muro-chin is already part of the family” he kisses the older’s temple. “and I guess Kagami follows you around so he can sleep on the old doghouse” “HEY LISTEN HERE YOU LITTLE –“

 “Atsushi’s right. Well not about the dog house, probably”  Hajime agrees

 “ON WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?”

“Look, we’ve heard about how important you are to Atsushi, Mom, Dad and Mika and today we saw that you both fit in the family perfectly, so don’t be so formal and stay. Also I’d like to wake up to a pretty face like yours- OUCH MIKA! THAT REALLY HURT YOU KNOW?”

“serves you right, you sleaze” she says as she shares a high five with Atsushi.

In the end the rooms are settled with Atsushi sharing with Himuro, Momoi sharing with Kagami “et tu Satsuki, goddammit!” and Aomine by himself.

“Aren’t you going to take of the bandages?” the younger asks as they lay on the bed in their sleepwear.

“I don’t know, I usually take them off at night but now…”

“It’s okay Muro-chin, I’m not pressuring you”

“I’m sorry”

“Muro-chin did nothing wrong” he took one of the bandages wrist in his hand and kissed the inside of it, the place where they are supposed to cover.

Muro-chin’s cheeks take a rosy red colour that makes him look adorable and Atsushi can’t help but wrap his arms around his waist and pull him close, crushing their lips together in a heated kiss.

When it ends, they are both panting slightly and snuggle more to each other.

Atsushi watched and hears as Himuro closes his eyes and his breathing becomes even. He looks peaceful and Atsushi’s chest swells in pride as he’s the one that makes Muro-chin feel so safe.

Things aren’t perfect yet and there’re and will be difficult times but Atsushi has always dismissed those when it’s about muro-chin. He falls asleep with good thought on his mind.

Like ‘accidentally’ spilling sugar and juice on Hajime during breakfast for flirting with his boyfriend.

 

**Author's Note:**

> So?? how was it? How many mistakes has my stupid brain made?? I wanted to write more scenes in this world with the characters I've now grown attached to, Damnit! I MAY do other one shots in this universe (MAYBE not that long BUT you never know but definitely beyond 2000 words as I have put this standard to myself in every fic or chapter) if you want to see more, comment i guess ?? ( i am new to the site so i'm trying to get the hang of it)  
> Shameless Self Promotion: I have my first fic ever here too and if you like the idea of a fluffy and nice (in my own biased opinion) GoshiTeru university AU then check out "Talk about unexpected" which I update twice a month UNLESS i finish writing it. In that case, we'll see.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed my work!


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